Case ReportCongestive Heart Failure: A Review and Case Report From a Chiropractic Teaching Clinic
Section snippets
Case Report
A 62-year-old white woman presented with unrelenting right-sided neck and shoulder pain of 6 months duration. The pain was characterized as sharp and numbing with radiation into the right hand. Within 12 days of the initial visit, she had gained 8 lb and was exhibiting labored respiration.
Significant patient history included previous diagnoses of cardiomyopathy, type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and arthritis. She had a surgical history of a pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
Pathophysiology
Heart failure exists when cellular respiration becomes impaired because the heart cannot pump enough blood to support the metabolic demands of the body. The initial signs and symptoms of heart failure include dyspnea, cough, nocturia, mental disturbances, anxiety, and generalized fatigue. Peripheral edema of cardiac origin may be present which is symmetric and worse in the evening.3 Edema is detected when the extracellular volume exceeds 5 L. With time, gastrointestinal symptoms emerge, such as
Conclusion
Comprehensive care, differential diagnosis, and continuity of care are important aspects of primary care. These principles are emphasized in the chiropractic clinical curricula and delivered through chiropractic patient management. This case report also typifies the application of primary care principles in a chiropractic teaching clinic. Holistic care delivered with compassion but guided by rigorous science is in the best interest of the patient. A clinical trial using a multidisciplinary team
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The effect of body position on pulmonary function, chest wall motion, and discomfort in young healthy participants
2014, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological TherapeuticsCitation Excerpt :It might be explained by no enlargement of cardiac size. Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy has a benefit to improve lung function and coughing, fatigue, and ease of breathing in patients with COPD,20,21 and also to be helpful in alleviating discomfort in patients with CHF.22 Our results might have implications for which positions are comfortable in patients who are managed in not only pulmonary rehabilitation but also in chiropractic manipulation.
The organisation of the stress response, and its relevance to chiropractors: A commentary
2006, Chiropractic and Osteopathy